'Lucky not to be dead': Bloody, ice-induced horror story

AN ALBURY man will spend the holiday season in jail after a spectacular ice-induced horror story which saw him crash his vehicle head-on into a truck, seriously attack Gympie police and vandalise the Gympie District Court building.

The court was told David Thomas Harrison "snarled like a dog" during his struggles with police, at the climax of an incident which began when he walked to a shop near his home to buy milk, running instead into a friend with a quantity of amphetamine.

They shared "a few grams" over a couple of days and Harrison decided to go for a drive.

By the time he crashed head-on into the truck in Gympie, he had been driving for 22 hours without a break.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan said Harrison had cut in front of cars stopped on an on-ramp onto the Bruce Highway in Gympie and failed to stop at a stop sign before driving across double-white lines and colliding head on with a truck and trailer.

"You're lucky not to be dead," Mr Callaghan said.

Ice.

"The sudden impact propelled your vehicle back into the lead stationary vehicle at the on-ramp.

"Footage was taken 4km south of the crash scene which shows your vehicle crossing double white lines into the path of an oncoming truck, and you narrowly avoided colliding with it on that occasion.

"Someone saw fit to give you bail and you were seen at the District Court building,

Police found a trail of blood leading to an open door and two smashed internal doors. You were covered in blood and had lacerations to your arms and police realised you had been released from custody that afternoon.

"You ran off and they chased you.

"It was then you grabbed the senior constable, punched him in the mouth and then your blood soaked fingers also entered his mouth.

"You snarled like a dog and attempted to bite him."

He also obstructed a female police officer and forced one watch-house officer to use his taser, Mr Callaghan said.

A quantity of ice with a street value of about $6000-$7000

Harrison, 45, pleaded guilty to wilfully damaging the court building by smashing a window, unlawful entry to the building, assaulting and obstructing police and assaulting one officer in a way that caused bodily harm and forced his blood-covered fingers into the officer's mouth, all on August 5, with one obstruction charge from August 6.

He also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of meth amphetamine at Monkland and dangerous driving in Hughes Tce while adversely affected by the drug.

The court was told Harrison tried to bite the policeman he assaulted and punched him in the mouth, causing bodily harm.

Harrison's solicitor, Chris Anderson, said his client normally lived in New South Wales.

"I can tell that from his criminal history," Mr Callaghan said.

On his journey to Gympie, he began to feel he was being watched, as he entered the region.

This led to erratic driving, which then led to the drug drive charge.

He thought the District Court was a church and tried to enter it "in bizarre circumstances."

He told police he wanted to be taken to a mental hospital, but has little recall of events at the watch house, including the assaults, and was very remorseful.

Mr Callaghan jailed Harrison with parole eligibility from February 4 next year.